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1 Matrix Lie Groups 1.1 Definition of a Matrix Lie Group We begin with a very important class of groups, the general linear groups. The groups we will study in this book will all be subgroups (of a certain sort) of one of the general linear groups. This chapter makes use of various standard results from linear algebra that are summarized in Appendix B. This chapter also assumes basic facts and definitions from the theory of abstract groups; the necessary information is provided in Appendix A. Definition 1.1. The general linear group over the real numbers, denoted GL(n; R), is the group of all n × n invertible matrices with real entries. The general linear group over the complex numbers, denoted GL(n; C), is the group of all n × n invertible matrices with complex entries. The general linear groups are indeed groups under the operation of matrix multiplication: The product of two invertible matrices is invertible, the iden- tity matrix is an identity for the group, an invertible matrix has (by definition) an inverse, and matrix multiplication is associative. Definition 1.2. Let Mn(C) denote the space of all n×n matrices with complex entries. Definition 1.3. Let Am be a sequence of complex matrices in Mn(C). We say that Am converges to a matrix A if each entry of Am converges (as →∞ m ) to the corresponding entry of A (i.e., if (Am)kl converges to Akl for all 1 ≤ k, l ≤ n). Definition 1.4. A matrix Lie group is any subgroup G of GL(n; C) with the following property: If Am is any sequence of matrices in G, and Am converges to some matrix A then either A ∈ G,orA is not invertible. The condition on G amounts to saying that G is a closed subset of GL(n; C). (This does not necessarily mean that G is closed in Mn(C).) Thus, Definition 4 1 Matrix Lie Groups 1.4 is equivalent to saying that a matrix Lie group is a closed subgroup of GL(n; C). The condition that G be a closed subgroup, as opposed to merely a sub- group, should be regarded as a technicality, in that most of the interesting subgroups of GL(n; C) have this property. (Most of the matrix Lie groups G we will consider have the stronger property that if Am is any sequence of matrices in G,andAm converges to some matrix A,thenA ∈ G (i.e., that G is closed in Mn(C)).) 1.1.1 Counterexamples An example of a subgroup of GL(n; C) which is not closed (and hence is not a matrix Lie group) is the set of all n×n invertible matrices all of whose entries are real and rational. This is in fact a subgroup of GL(n; C), but not a closed subgroup. That is, one can (easily) have a sequence of invertible matrices with rational entries converging to an invertible matrix with some irrational entries. (In fact, every real invertible matrix is the limit of some sequence of invertible matrices with rational entries.) Another example of a group of matrices which is not a matrix Lie group is the following subgroup of GL(2; C). Let a be an irrational real number and let eit 0 G = t ∈ R . 0 eita Clearly, G is a subgroup of GL(2, C). Because a is irrational, the matrix −I is not in G,sincetomakeeit equal to −1, we must take t to be an odd integer multiple of π,inwhichcaseta cannot be an odd integer multiple of π.Onthe other hand (Exercise 1), by taking t =(2n +1)π for a suitably chosen integer n,wecanmaketa arbitrarily close to an odd integer multiple of π. Hence, we can find a sequence of matrices in G which converges to −I,andsoG is not a matrix Lie group. See Exercise 1 and Exercise 18 for more information. 1.2 Examples of Matrix Lie Groups Mastering the subject of Lie groups involves not only learning the general the- ory but also familiarizing oneself with examples. In this section, we introduce some of the most important examples of (matrix) Lie groups. 1.2.1 The general linear groups GL(n; R) and GL(n; C) The general linear groups (over R or C) are themselves matrix Lie groups. Of course, GL(n; C) is a subgroup of itself. Furthermore, if Am is a sequence of matrices in GL(n; C)andAm converges to A, then by the definition of GL(n; C), either A is in GL(n; C), or A is not invertible. 1.2 Examples of Matrix Lie Groups 5 Moreover, GL(n; R) is a subgroup of GL(n; C), and if Am ∈ GL(n; R)and Am converges to A, then the entries of A are real. Thus, either A is not invertible or A ∈ GL(n; R). 1.2.2 The special linear groups SL(n; R) and SL(n; C) The special linear group (over R or C) is the group of n × n invertible matrices (with real or complex entries) having determinant one. Both of these are subgroups of GL(n; C). Furthermore, if An is a sequence of matrices with determinant one and An converges to A,thenA also has determinant one, because the determinant is a continuous function. Thus, SL(n; R)andSL (n; C) are matrix Lie groups. 1.2.3 The orthogonal and special orthogonal groups, O(n) and SO(n) An n × n real matrix A is said to be orthogonal if the column vectors that make up A are orthonormal, that is, if n AljAlk = δjk, 1 ≤ j, k ≤ n. l=1 (Here δjk is the Kronecker delta, equal to 1 if j = k and equal to zero if j = k.) Equivalently, A is orthogonal if it preserves the inner product, namely if n x, y = Ax, Ay for all vectors x, y in R . ( Angled brackets denote the usual Rn inner product on , x, y = k xkyk.) Still another equivalent definition is that A is orthogonal if AtrA = I, i.e., if Atr = A−1. (Here, Atr is the tr transpose of A,(A )kl = Alk.) See Exercise 2. Since det Atr =detA, we see that if A is orthogonal, then det(AtrA)= (det A)2 =detI = 1. Hence, det A = ±1, for all orthogonal matrices A. This formula tells us in particular that every orthogonal matrix must be invertible. However, if A is an orthogonal matrix, then A−1x, A−1y = A(A−1x),A(A−1y) = x, y . Thus, the inverse of an orthogonal matrix is orthogonal. Furthermore, the product of two orthogonal matrices is orthogonal, since if A and B both preserve inner products, then so does AB. Thus, the set of orthogonal matrices forms a group. The set of all n × n real orthogonal matrices is the orthogonal group O(n), and it is a subgroup of GL(n; C). The limit of a sequence of orthogonal matrices is orthogonal, because the relation AtrA = I is preserved under taking limits. Thus, O(n) is a matrix Lie group. The set of n × n orthogonal matrices with determinant one is the special orthogonal group SO(n). Clearly, this is a subgroup of O(n), and hence of 6 1 Matrix Lie Groups GL(n; C). Moreover, both orthogonality and the property of having determi- nant one are preserved under limits, and so SO(n) is a matrix Lie group. Since elements of O(n) already have determinant ±1, SO(n)is“half”ofO(n). Geometrically, elements of O(n) are either rotations or combinations of rotations and reflections. The elements of SO(n) are just the rotations. See also Exercise 6. 1.2.4 The unitary and special unitary groups, U(n) and SU(n) An n × n complex matrix A is said to be unitary if the column vectors of A are orthonormal, that is, if n AljAlk = δjk. l=1 Equivalently, A is unitary if it preserves the inner product, namely if x, y = n Ax, Ay for all vectors x, y in C . (Angled brackets here denote the inner Cn product on , x, y = k xkyk. We will adopt the convention of putting the complex conjugate on the left.) Still another equivalent definition is that A is unitary if A∗A = I, i.e., if A∗ = A−1. (Here, A∗ is the adjoint of A, ∗ (A )jk = Akj.) See Exercise 3. Since det A∗ = det A, we see that if A is unitary, then det(A∗A)= |det A|2 =detI = 1. Hence, |det A| = 1, for all unitary matrices A. This, in particular, shows that every unitary matrix is invertible. The same argument as for the orthogonal group shows that the set of unitary matrices forms a group. The set of all n × n unitary matrices is the unitary group U(n), and it is a subgroup of GL(n; C). The limit of unitary matrices is unitary, so U(n)is a matrix Lie group. The set of unitary matrices with determinant one is the special unitary group SU(n). It is easy to check that SU(n) is a matrix Lie group. Note that a unitary matrix can have determinant eiθ for any θ,andso SU(n) is a smaller subset of U(n)thanSO(n)isofO(n). (Specifically, SO(n) has the same dimension as O(n), whereas SU(n) has dimension one less than that of U(n).) See also Exercise 8.
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